1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is concerned with a curtain support used in combination with a curtain rod to support and extend the end portions of the curtain. More particularly, the present invention is concerned with corner supports that extend a shower curtain around gaps which are prevalent at the juncture between the shower curtain ends and the adjacent walls which define the shower enclosure to prevent shower spray from escaping the shower area. Most particularly, the present invention relates to a shower curtain corner support which extends the curtain along the adjacent wall of the shower stall and maintains the horizontal and vertical orientation of the curtain.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The present inventor's prior U.S. Pat. No. 5,170,974, which is incorporated herein by reference as if fully set forth, as well as the above-identified related application disclose the desirability of providing shower curtain supports to prevent shower spray from escaping the shower area. Both references disclose shower curtain corner supports which include a cantilevered beam, that is directed into the shower area, supported by a body carried on the curtain rod. An adjustable counter weight maintains the beam in an approximately horizontal plane.
In some applications, such as hotel or motel showers, it is desirable to have shower curtain corner supports which cannot be tampered with or misadjusted by the users. In other applications, it is desirable to have a shower curtain corner support without a counter weight for aesthetic reasons or because the counterweight could interfere with the location of a secondary curtain rod for supporting a valance in close proximity to the shower curtain rod. The corner supports must still maintain the vertical orientation of the portion of the curtain which extends along the adjacent wall of the shower enclosure, yet be insensitive to the differing weights of various shower curtain materials.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a corner support device which will support the end portion of the shower curtain which extends along the adjacent wall of the shower enclosure while maintaining the top edge of the shower curtain in substantially the same plane throughout the length of the shower curtain.
It is an object of this invention to provide shower curtain corner supports which resist the moment generated by the end portions of the shower curtain and maintain the horizontal or top edge of the shower curtain in a substantially horizontal plane throughout its length.
It is an object of this invention to provide tamper resistant shower curtain corner supports.